Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-08-19

and routed at llubhardton the rear guard
of our rctrcating army. At this critical
moment, when l}urgoyne's success seemed
most assured, the Council of Safety, then
the provisional government of Vermont.
appealed to Massachusetts and New Hamp-
shire for aid in rcpcling invasion of the
western border thus left open and defence
less.
Right nobly did these colonies respond to
the call. and "Ho. to the bordersn rang
through the hills of New Hamb,hre and
was echoed along the valleys of Berkshire
and Worcester. John Stark with his stall
wart men from the granite hills came
marching across the mountains. and Col
Simmons rallied the men of Berkshire,
among whom was the maternal grandfather
of the speaker and Warner and Herrick and
Williams and Brush came also with their
Nermonters, among them the paternal
grandfather of the speaker
Gen Stark with his brigade reached Ben
nington on the 9th of August. 1t was on
the 10Th of the previous month that the
Vermont Council of Safety had addressed
the executives of Massachusetts and New
Hampshire, and thus promptly had New
Hampshire respo lded Gen Stark had al
ready earned reputation as colonel at Bunker
Hill and under Washington at Trenton and
! Princeton, and was man of great force
and courage His instructions from the
president of New Hampshire upon setting
out ON this expedition curouslv illustrates
the quasi independence of the colonies at
that time. They were: 'To repair to Char
lestown No. I, and, when the troops were
collected there. "to take command of them
and marched into the State of Vermont and
there act in conjunction with the troops
of that state or any other of the States, or
of the United States or separately. as it
should appear eXpedicnt to him for the pro
lection of the people or the annoyance of
the enemy Never was more discretion
airy power more wisely bestowed. The
result justified the confidence reposed in
Gen. Stark, although the order was crit
clsed severely as subverSve of military dis
cipline BurgOyne had at this time reach
ed the Hudson river, his progress having
been retarded by natural obstacles and Oh
structions interposed by the scattering force
of Americans which hung along his flank
and front in the wilderness through which
he marched. He at this time needed sup
plies and means of transportation. and his
object in detaching Baum and sending him
to Bennington was to capture the stores
there gathered in considerable quantities
for the use of Gen. Schuyler's army But
the hastily rallied pioneers were there be
fore him, and, my fellow-citizcns, never
was there more grand, spontaneous up
rising of brave, noble race of men in de-
fence of holy call,r-Eome. country fren-
dom, everything which makes life dear or
worth living.
On August II Baum had reached Il point
about six miles from Bennington and had
I .,tt Il l,.,,g
flour at Sacoik mill From here he wrote
II dispatch to Burgoyne, that about 1900
militia were in his front, which would
leave ut his approach; OF which another has
wittily said, They did leave, but took
Baum S whole army along with them. -
On the night of the 14th Baum entrenched
his army in "A strong position. On the 18th
it rained. On the 18th Stark attacked the
entrenched and disciplined troops on all
sides. They made a brave defence, but
they were nearly all killed or taken prsion-
ers. Immediately after the battle was
over Col. Breyman, sent to reinforce Baum
with five or six hundred man. was observed
approaching, with whom n second battle
was fought, continuing until sunset, when
the enemy fled, leaving his artillery and es-
Gaping in the darkness. Ab~ut 700 of the
enemy were captured and 201 men killed.
Go -. Hall, in his EARLY History of Yer
mont, says: The injury to the enemy by
this disaster can scarcey be overstated. 1t
was not confined to his actual losses of men
and munitions of wer, though these were If
considerable Importance and this victory
was the first check given to the triumphant
march of Burgoyne from Canada and was
an unexpected example of a successful as
sault by undisciplined militia, armed with
musketS without bayonets, upon an en-
trenched camp of veteran troops defended
by cannon" In n private letter to the
British minister in London, written four
days after the battle, Burgoyne says, Had
| succeeded | should have effected junnc-
ton with st. Leger, and been now before
Albany" In the same letter he pays his
respects to the people of Vermont in the
following words: THE New Hampshire
Grants in particular n country unpeopled
in the last war nov abounds in the most
active and most rebelious race of the CONT
nent and hangs like gathering storm on
my left We can hardly overestimate
the effect of this victory upon the then DIES
perate cause of the colonies. Such effective
fighting by raw militia against entrenched
veterans astounded and disheartened the
enemy. The news flew over the land and
thrilled all hearts with joy, renewed flag
ging hope, inspired fresh conf lence in the
proves of our army and in our ultimate
triumph. Says General Hawley in his re
port to the House of Representatives of the
10th Congress, recommending the appro-
priation already mentioned; This brilliant
victory of New England yeomen over dis
ciplined forces aroused every section of the
country to renewed effort reinforced the
northern army by the thousands, and thus
ensured the success of the Saratoga battles,
resulting in the capitulation of Burgoyne
and his whole army. Consequent on this
was the French alliance, the importance of
which to the final result is a matter of his
tory To the Bennington battle, then, one
of the most brilliant in the annals of war
of the Revolution must be therefore largely
accorded the achievement of the indepen-
dence of America 1t is curious to notice
how necessary to this grand result seems
each successive link in this chain of cause
and effect.
If Baum had taken the needed supplies to
Burgoyne's army, its triumphant march to
! A hoo, AL.